Transportation

There are multiple alternatives to driving that can be utilized when planning your next Trails & Sails adventure! The following are transportation options and shared-use trail networks in Essex County, Massachusetts, for your consideration.

The MBTA Commuter Rail provides daily train service from Boston via the Newburyport/Rockport line. View the timetable.

The RIDE paratransit service provides door-to-door, shared-ride public transportation to people who can’t use the subway, bus, or trolley all or some of the time due to temporary or permanent disability. The service area includes many cities and towns in Essex County, Massachusetts. Learn more about the Ride.

The Cape Ann Transportation Authority (CATA) is a a regional transit authority that offers the convenience of public transportation for the greater Cape Ann communities of Gloucester, Rockport, Ipswich, Essex, Hamilton, and Manchester-by-the-Sea. View more details about CATA.

Merrimack Valley Transit (MeVA) provides a free bus service throughout the Merrimack Valley including Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill, Groveland, Amesbury, Merrimac, Newburyport, Salisbury, Andover, and North Andover. Find MeVA routes.

The Salem Skipper is an affordable ridesharing service that offers fast, easy, and inexpensive rides to locations in Salem, and is now available in parts of Danvers and Beverly. Learn more about the Salem Skipper.

Hop aboard the Salem Ferry operated by Boston Harbor Cruises at Boston’s Long Wharf and arrive in Salem within 50 minutes. The ferry runs from late May through October and embarks and departs from the Salem Ferry Terminal on Blaney Street in Salem. Learn more about the Salem Ferry.

The Border to Boston Trail is a 70-mile shared-use trail that links approximately 20 communities from the New Hampshire border to Boston for non-motorized uses including walking, bicycling, and more. It is a segment of the East Coast Greenway which is a walking and biking route stretching 3,000 miles from Maine to Florida. For detailed and turn-by-turn directions visit greenway.org and download the app. Download a copy of the Border to Boston Trail brochure with Essex County trail map.

The Coastal Trails Network is an emerging 30-mile, public system of multi-use off-road bicycle and pedestrian trails and bike lanes linking the unique coastal features, town centers, neighborhoods and transportation hubs in the communities of Amesbury, Newbury, Newburyport and Salisbury. With over 20 miles completed the trail network offers residents and visitors a healthy, alternative means of transportation. Download a network map.

The Northern Strand Trail is managed by Bike to the Sea and consists of 11.5 miles of paved trail, starting in Everett and going through Malden, Revere, and Saugus to the Lynn line. View the map.